Page 42 of Alpha's Exiled Mate
I had assumed that my leniency toward Sophia would send a message to her, a subtle invitation of sorts. And it did.
After that, Sophia began showing up at the palace with all kinds of excuses—sometimes to discuss trivial matters, other times to simply “check in.” I didn’t push back against her occasional flirtatious gestures, especially not when my wife, Viossi, was present. And I didn’t reject her occasional displays of closeness—especially not in front of Viossi.
The history Sophia shared with me was something Viossi could never be a part of, no matter how much she might have wished to. It was a chapter of my life that was closed to Sophia, and all she could do was remain quiet, her expression unreadable. Did she not realize she was being sidelined? How could she sit there so calmly, so composed, as if none of these affected her? Was this her way of pushing back, of defying me with her indifference? The thought gnawed at me, stirring a restless irritation deep in my chest.
I felt that frustration building today, sharper and more insistent than before. Sophia arrived at the palace once again, this time carrying a small basket of homemade cookies and pastries, her smile bright and deliberate as she presented them to me. She made a point to mention how she’d spent hours baking them, her tone dripping with a familiarity that felt almost performative. I accepted the gesture with a polite nod, but inside, my nerves were fraying. I kept glancing at Viossi, waiting for some sign—any sign—that this was getting to her. But her face remained a mask of serenity, her hands folded neatly in her lap.
And then, finally, she reacted. Her voice was soft but firm, cutting through the tension like a blade. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, I’m feeling a bit unwell. If you’ll excuse me for a moment.”
She rose from her seat with a grace that betrayed no emotion, offered a slight curtsy, and left the room without so much as a backward glance. As her figure disappeared through the doorway, I felt myself slump, exhaustion washing over me. Pretending to be close with Sophia for so long had drained me. Even as she left with an excuse, she hadn’t spared me a single glance.
Suddenly, I felt like a fool, like a performing monkey in a zoo, making all sorts of noise and still failing to earn even a flicker of her attention.
“Perock,” Sophia said abruptly, grasping my hand, her voice low and earnest. “These past few days with you have brought back so many memories.”
I frowned slightly, attempting to pull my hand away. “Sophia…”
“No, please, let me finish,” she interrupted urgently, holding on tighter. “I know I hurt you before, but that was the greatestmistake of my life. Not a day goes by that I don’t regret my choice.”
Tears welled in her eyes, her voice quivering. “You don’t know how much I wish I could go back and choose differently. My husband… he’s a coward. He lets his mother belittle and humiliate me.”
Tears streamed down her face as she gazed at me with raw emotion. “Perock, I’ve realized I never stopped loving you. You’re the one I’ve been searching for all along.”
A shameful part of me wished I could feel something for her, if only to stop being so consumed by Viossi. I couldn’t help but question myself. What was I doing? Using one woman to provoke another? How childish, how utterly beneath me.
It was time to end this farce.
“Sophia,” I said softly but firmly, pulling my hand free. “Listen, we both have our own lives now.”
“No, I don’t believe you feel nothing for me,” she insisted. “I can see it. You don’t truly care for her. The one you’ve always cared about is me, isn’t it?”
I opened my mouth to deny it, but before I could speak, Sophia leaned forward. Before I could react, her lips pressed against mine.
The kiss froze me in place. The once-familiar taste, the warmth I had once craved, stirred nothing within me. Only one thought echoed in my mind—this is wrong.
I was about to push her away when a faint sound caught my attention. Turning my head, I saw my Princess standing at the entrance to the pavilion, her expression frozen in shock.
“I’m sorry, I’ll leave at once,” she said quickly, regaining her composure and stepping back.
“Wait,” I called out, shoving Sophia aside and standing, but she had already turned and was hurrying away, her steps nearly a run.
“Perock!” Sophia exclaimed, irritation lacing her tone as she tried to grab my hand. “Let her go. This way, we can talk properly.”
“Enough, Sophia!” I said coldly, shaking off her grip. “I need to explain this to her.”
“Explain what?” she scoffed. “Are you going to tell me you truly care for her? Perock, don’t deceive yourself. Look at how you’ve treated her these past few days! You’ve been trying to make her upset, to make her jealous. Doesn’t that prove you still can’t let go of me?”
Sophia’s words hit me like a bucket of ice water, chilling me to the core. She was right—and I couldn’t deny it. Over the past few days, my actions had been nothing short of childish and absurd. I had deliberately made sure the princess saw me with Sophia, hoping to spark jealousy in her, acting like some immature teenager desperate for attention. This behavior was beneath me, unworthy of who I am, and worst of all, it hurt someone I should have respected and cherished from the start.
“Sophia, you’re wrong about one thing,” I said, looking directly into her eyes, my voice steady and resolute. “These past few days were indeed my mistake, but not because I still have feelings for you. It’s because I was too proud to admit what I truly feel. It’s time for me to let go of the past and face the reality honestly.”
Sophia’s expression froze, her eyes glistening with unshed tears that seemed to hang suspended in that moment, caught between pain and realization.
“I’m sorry for being so blunt,” I continued, my tone softening but still firm, “but, Sophia, whatever was between us is over. I have my responsibilities now, and I have someone… someone I love.”
I didn’t wait for her response. Turning on my heel, I hurried out, my heart pounding with a mix of urgency and regret. Each step I took intensified the turmoil inside me. I needed to find her. I needed to explain myself, to apologize for my foolish behavior over the past few days, and most importantly, to tell her the truth about how I feel.
As I rounded the corner, I saw her.
